The Le Mans 24 Hours carries with it more tradition and history than any other event, and the occasion of the XXIst Grand Prix d’Endurance not only continued this position, but celebrated the race’s 21st birthday by being the first when over 100mph has been averaged for the whole 24 hours. This achievement was recorded by A. P. R. Rolt and J. Duncan Hamilton driving a factory XK120-C Jaguar, averaging over 105.5mph. So fast was the pace set by the leaders that the first seven finishers all averaged over the 100mph mark.

The weeks before Le Mans were crammed with rumour and speculation as other races were watched closely to try and get a lead on which team could potentially star at La Sarthe. This year, if anyone had suggested that Jaguars would have swept the board, with the four cars starting and finishing in first, second, fourth and ninth, they would have been considered to be out of their minds. It was well known that the Coventry firm was competing with the same models it used in 1951, whereas everyone else was preparing special new cars.

Right up to the first practice there was never a suggestion that the Jaguars had a hope of winning, unless everyone else blew up. But when Moss began to put in some 4min 32sec laps, comfortably as fast as any of the opposition, it was time to think again.